Budget delivery
I wouldn't be as brash as Mr Bacon my fellow Shooters Fishers and Farmers candidate for Tamworth at the NSW Election to claim credit for all of the millions that have been announced in the recent Budget for this electorate for Rangari Road between Manilla and Boggabri and the Werris Creek Road and other projects. Sure opponents have played a part in the result putting the incumbent under pressure to deliver more but to claim credit for all of the Budget outcomes could be stretching it, but I digress.
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I am more concerned about the delivery of projects valued by the community such as the ongoing saga and delayed construction of the Banksia Acute Mental Health Unit. Gunnedah appears to be going to wait until virtually the expiration of the third term of this Government before it sees so much as a sod turned for its new hospital and yet the announcement along with other infrastructure spending went a long way to keeping Gunnedah safe for the incumbent.
Rural areas have an infestation of people afflicted by MDMA/Ice and yet the Government will play it safe claiming they will await the findings of their Special Commission of Inquiry into the Drug 'Ice' even though they know the devastating results of doing nothing.
The Deputy Premier and his Nationals brethren in local government and the construction and real estate industries want Tamworth to grow to 100,000 but yet nothing appeared in the Budget to point to planning for a Tamworth-100,000 plan, new Tamworth schools, water infrastructure, transport or medical facilities to cope with the increased population. Gunnedah Shire's new motto "Open for Growth" suggests the region is keen to grow yet all it gets is further funding for the second overpass, nothing to plan the future growth of rural NSW but further delays.
Goonoo Goonoo Road is Tamworth's major road entrance to the city, but all we got for that was a promise of further funds to plan it. Tamworth city has some of the highest obesity levels in the State but no funds allocated to construct footpaths and cycleways to encourage our residents to exercise or education campaigns to change eating habits.
We get told we are important to the Sydney-centric Government however while metropolitan Sydney is receiving funds to supercharge the city, all much of rural NSW gets is a little revving; unless you are the Member for Northern Tablelands, The honourable Adam Marshall - he gets a well deserved gold star.
Mark Rodda, Tamworth
AFP raids
Concerning the AFP raids on the ABC and a Murdoch journalist's home, Scott Morrison delivered himself of the following: "It never troubles me that our laws are being upheld."
What he didn't say is that the laws in question allow police to seize computers and computer files, and then to alter what's in them.
This is hardly Christian, and it's a bit of a shock to find that the Prime Minister himself is quite happy about it.
Grant Agnew, Coopers Plains, QLD
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